The Devil's Prize 1
by The Enthusiast
Summary: The Devil's Prize is always innocence. Part 1 of 4. Rated for violence and mature themes. Slow at first but gets better. VIDEO TRAILER INSIDE, PLEASE WATCH.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAMER: I do not own Life With Derek. :)  
This story is a little slow at first but it gets better. Trust me.

Part one: **Summer**

_Casey's thoughts  
_**Emphasized words**

VIDEO TRAILER: wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?vZzCys3llxz8  
Story is better than trailer. I promise. Just take out the words DOT and replace with a dot.

* * *

A pair of motherly eyes were focused on the girl who was running down the sidewalk, an envelope in her hand. Her hair was flying behind her, a huge grin on her face. This was the one day that she didn't care about curious and judgemental eyes that wondered why she was running. It was the last day of school; but that wasn't why she was so happy.

She burst through the door and met her mother and with dancing eyes and rosy cheeks, Casey thrusted the envelope into her hand. The seal had already been broken.

"I got it!" she gasped, and leaned against the table to catch her breath.

She was referring to a play. No, she had not recieved a part (though she'd have been just as happy if she had.) It was _her_ play. She was a young playwright and her latest work had been chosen out of hundreds of entries to be featured in the local community theatre's summer show. She was actually a bit surprised; usually the only plays chosen were light and heart-warming stories that promoted "good family values." Then again, the owner of the place had recently retired, and a new, younger owner had replaced him. _Maybe that's why my play was picked_.

At any rate, she was ecstatic about her play being picked, and she couldn't wait to get started on directing it. It was somewhat of a dark play, taking place in the middle ages. It was about a enchantingly beautiful and brilliant queen who was extremely intelligent, but also insane. She reigned for decades, all the while luring male victims to the castle with intoxicating love. She married them, but always murdered them after a few years, without exeption, because someone else always came along and captured her fancy. The cycle would then continue again. Throughout the years she blamed the sudden deaths on different causes, and everyone believed her. Then one day her daughter witnessed one of the murders. The princess kept her mother's secret to keep honor to her family until she couldn't harbor the knowledge any longer. She told the entire castle at a celebratory banquet a week before All Hallow's Eve. Unfortunately for her, the people she had grown up with had chosen to believe her mother over her. Unable to bear the shame, she drowned herself a week later, ironically, on All Hallow's Eve.

The family hadn't really given any thought to the dark nature of the story: Lizzie understood that it was art, and also dubbed it as "boring," punctuating her sentence with a nicely executed yawn. Natrually she didn't even try to tell Derek and Edwin. George had nodded absentmindedly over his legal briefs (Casey appreciated the effort.) Being the good mother that she was, Nora had thought briefly that maybe it was a little **too **grotesque for a play, but she respected that Casey had worked so hard on it.

She fell asleep that night very excited, and very nervous as well. She knew that this play was very important -- and she knew that the casting was everything. Tomorrow were the auditions, and Casey could only hope the right people would audition.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAMER: I do not own Life With Derek. Trailer is here: wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?vZzCys3llxz8  
Just replace the "DOTs" with a real dot.

**Emphasized words  
**_Casey's thoughts_

This story is a little slow at first but it gets better. Trust me.

* * *

The stage was dark and empty. Casey nervously gripped the clipboard in her hand. Lauren was trying to catch her eye. They were sitting in the third row of the auditorium. Lauren was the co-director of the play, and today was the audition day. Waiting outside was a whole slew of girls hoping to become the Queen or the Princess, the two most talked about parts.

"Ready to let them in?" Lauren asked. Casey bit her lip.

"I'm sorry Lauren...I just have **no **idea why I'm so nervous."

Lauren looked at Casey, and Casey could feel the understanding in her eyes. "Afraid you won't find the right cast?"

"This play, it's like...like my baby." Casey said softly, giving Lauren a weak smile.

"And we're all with you in your journey through motherhood," Lauren said with a wink. Standing up, she patted Casey on the shoulder. "I'll go let 'em in."

Casey took a deep breath and stood up, moving toward the first row, as the girls filed backstage. Lauren stayed with them to explain the rules, then joined a very nervous Casey in the front row.

The first girl to audition was a red head named Melissa.

"She's amazing!" Laruen whispered, leaning over to Casey, eyes lit.

"Yeah, but I can't hear a thing she's saying!" The proverbial scratch of Casey's pencil through Melissa's name sealed the hopeful actress's fate.

The next person to the stage definitely surprised Casey. She covered her mouth and nose with the clipboard to smother a giggle. Lauren looked at her confusedly, but shook it off.

"Tell us your name," Lauren asked, wrestling the clipboard from Casey's hand.

"Kendra Parker," she said, running her hands through her hair. Casey nodded that she could proceed, then leaned over to Lauren. "This should be good."

Indeed it was. Kendra took the poetic liberty to insert "like" and "um" into many of her lines, tripped over the folding chair that served as a throne, and gave a nervous giggle everytime she made a mistake.

"Put her down for Lady-in-Waiting #3." Lauren said.

"No way! My play has to be perfect, right down to the laides-in-waiting," Lauren rolled her eyes at Casey. "Fine, she can be Lady-in-Waiting #3's **understudy**."

"Just **who** is the director here?" Casey asked good-naturedly. Lauren laughed. "I refuse to answer that."

Several decent girls and a couple boys auditioned next, and various bit parts were rapidly filled.

The next person of signifigance to audition was Emily. She strode onstage and knew just where to stand.

"Go ahead, Em," Lauren nodded.

She was to perform a monologue that Casey had written. She had written one for the girls wanting to audition for the queen - a dark monologue about evil and what it did to a person, and how uncontrollable it was. The one for the princess was a typical peice about keeping secrets and wishing you could announce them to the world. For the three sisters the peices were about trying to move up in the world, and all of the bit parts had an unrelated monologue about social acceptance.

Casey assumed Emily would try out for the princess, but there she was, center stage, the words of the Queen's peice coming out of her mouth.

Casey and Lauren were taken by surprise. Emily had just the right carriage, just the right expressions, her tone of voice was perfect. Well, perfect to Casey and Lauren.

Casey felt overwhelmed with excitement. She had found her Queen. But her Princess had yet to be cast. She could only hope to find the perfect one.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Life With Derek.

_Thoughts  
_**Emphasized words**

Video trailer here: http://wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?vGIBXu8nTpEI  
Please replace the "dot" with an actual dot.

* * *

Casey turned the cordless phone over in her hand. She was lying on her stomach on her bed, trying to work up the nerve to turn the phone on. Then, of course, she would actually have to make the **call**, which, frankly, scared the her out of her wits. She wasn't usually **this** nervous about calling her, but lately anything involving her play made her nervous. _What if she says no?_

Casey was trying to call none other than "Cousin Vicky." _**Victoria**_, she sarcastically emphasized in her thoughts. The reason she needed to call her cousin was because, to Casey's great dismay, she hadn't yet found her "Princess." She knew that Victoria was an exceptional actress from watching her in the yearly plays at their old school.

"Hello?" Victoria answered, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Hi...it's Casey."

"Hey, Case, what's up?" said Vicky, sounding brighter.

"I kind of need your help." Casey then told Victoria all about the play, starting with the summary and ending with her current predicament in which she had no lead.

"So let me get this straight...you need me to play a Princess in your little play?" Victoria's old nature was showing, and Casey supressed angry words, after all, she needed Victoria to play the part.

"Y-yes."

"Great! I'd love to!" came the reply of a true actress. Casey grinned.

"Thanks."

---

"Alright, everyone, make sure you have your pencils," Casey instructed. It was the first rehearsal, and the cast of her play were all assembled in front of her, seated on the stage. Today, they were going to block the first act. Blocking is a term in acting that means to map out where the actors need to stand, enter, interact, and how to deliver their lines. They were to make a note of the directions in their scripts with their pencils.

When Casey saw that everyone had their supplies, she motioned to Lauren, telling her to stand next to Casey.

"Lauren is going to take you all backstage so you can see and label your shelves," She handed the labels and several Sharpies to Lauren.

"You will use your shelves for storing props, costumes, and scripts. The bigger your part, the bigger the shelf." With that, the girls were backstage and Casey sat in a chair, staring at the stage.

Her play was taking place in her mind, as it always did when she glanced at the stage. She knew just where everything was supposed to be, just how she wanted it. She allowed herself to close her eyes momentarily, forgetting about the stress of directing her "baby." _For now, anyway_.

"Um...Casey?"

Casey reluctantly opened her eyes to see Victoria standing before her, looking curious.

"Yes?''

"I'd just like to say, thanks. For giving me the part, I mean."

Casey blushed at having her cousin find her sitting, with her eyes randomaly closed.

"Um, don't worry about it!" She stood up and stammered something about checking on Lauren.

_Nice, Casey. Miss Director, Miss In-Charge, Miss Embarassed is more like it! _She had no time to finish her nonsensical string of thoughts when a flurry of girls walked out from backstage toward her. _I guess they're done._

Casey took her seat in the front row and watched the girls get into their places. She directed them where to stand, made a few changes, instructed a mixed-up Kendra which was stage down and which was up, and when she was satisfied, let them act. Casey had to admit, she was very surprised at the on-stage chemistry of Emily and Victoria. They complimented eachother's acting skills so well that there was a unique balance that Casey was delighted to have.

"Mother, please, tell me. **Where** did he go?"

"I have already told you, Sarah. He didn't **go **anywhere. He was on his deathbed just last week, you do the logics!" Emily looked at the floor and raised an imaginary tissue to her eyes.

"Please...leave me alone with my grief." Victoria waited for three full seconds before shaking her head and leaving the stage. Casey was impressed: she had expected Victoria to rush into her exit, and Casey was prepared to instruct her about the "actor's tool of silence," but it would appear she didn't to. _Wow, Victoria's no amatuer!_

Casey stood up. "Great job today, everyone! Go put your props in your shelves."

Victoria hung back, watching the girls. She felt pretty confident: in her eyes, they were all less talented than she. _Except for that queen...Emily was it? She could match me...interesting..._

Victoria liked to study people. She liked to believe that she could read them, liked to believe she could manipulate. She was good at heart, but the feeling of control over another enamored her.

One thing Victoria knew she wasn't an amatuer at was acting; but little did she know, she **was** an amatuer at this game. There was another, however, among her in the theater at that presice moment, who was not an amatuer at the art of manipulation at all.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Life With Derek.

**Emphasized words  
**_Thoughts_

Read on!

* * *

"No, I said Saturday, please...no, **Saturday**!"

Emily, beside a distressed Casey, rolled her eyes. It was right after the first rehearsal for the play, and Casey was talking to a hopelessly misunderstanding seamstress. She was trying to schedule fittings for the costumes.

"Friday? No, no, no! I was asking why **you **suggested it. I really want **Saturday**!" Emily supressed giggles.

"Thank you." said Casey at last, and wearily hung up the phone.

"Stressed?" Emily asked sympathetically. Casey replied by rubbing her temples and sighing.

"TV always helps."

"Yeah," was the sarcastic reply.

Emily turned the TV on regardless. She channel surfed for awhile, and came to rest on the crime-drama show "Numbers."

"Oh, I love this show!"

Casey nodded. She had seen a few episodes before, but not this one. A young, beat-up looking blond was walking across a field.

"What happened to her?" Emily asked no one in particular. Casey shrugged, and took out (ironically) her math homework.

While Emily seemed very interested, Casey mostly tuned out the show and for the next half hour worked on her assignments. She was interrupted by Emily tapping her shoulder.

"Isn't that so cool?"

"What?" Casey asked.

"The Prophet!" Emily replied. Casey shrugged, not understanding. "The guy!" she gestured to the screen. "Haven't you been watching at all?"

"Um, not really, Emily!" she said, mildly annoyed. "What's so cool about the prophet?"

"Well, he was a polygamist and he had this whole, like, community thing that he controlled so he..."

"Woah, Em, slow down!" Casey held up her hand. Emily giggled sheepishly. "So he...wait, he **controlled** them?"

"Yeah, it was so cool!"

After Emily finished that last girlish sentence, something weird happened. She turned to look out the window, hugged her knees to herself, and got a faraway look in her eyes.

"They were all from one bloodline. Most of them were women, and if you left, you were killed," Emily went on like that, painting a picture of horror before Casey's mind. But what scared Casey the most was the way Emily was saying it. _As if she...as if she is fascinated by it._

"He controlled them all, made them think he was their god," Casey shifted uncomfortably when Emily said that.

Casey thought about that moment for a long, long time after Emily left. _Why did she look like that when she talked about the show?_ After awhile, though, she pushed it out of her mind at last.

_I've got my play to worry about, after all._


End file.
